This invention relates generally to identification of objects and, more particularly, to a system and method for identifying manufactured parts, such as transmissions, through visual inspection.
When manufactured goods fail, they can often be repaired. For example, when an automotive part such as a transmission or engine fails, typically only a few components of the part require replacement, whereas the rest of the automotive part remains operable. Correct identification of the failed part is imperative if repair is to be successful. However, parts are frequently misidentified, resulting in economic loss of considerable magnitude, particularly when the part is complex, as in machinery.
In the automotive field, failed parts are frequently sent to facilities owned by third parties that remanufacture, refurbish, or repair failed parts. Such facilities receive a substantial number and variation of automotive parts for repair. For example, a typical repair facility may refurbish many thousands of transmissions per year. In addition, such facilities are typically configured to handle several hundred different variations of transmissions. Thus, a critical aspect of the refurbishment process is to properly identify and sort the failed parts. Correct identification of failed parts is also important to insure that the cost of repairing parts is correctly allocated among the owner of the part and the repair facility. Today, losses sustained due to misidentification are in the millions of dollars each year. The problem of misidentification is exacerbated by the practice of shipping failed parts to third party repair facilities, because a misidentified part is worthless when sent to a facility that is not equipped to repair that part.
Automobile transmissions, as well as other kinds of complex machinery, are identifiable by indicia stamped or otherwise marked on the part. However, this information is generally not known or understood by the workers who repair the parts at the repair facility. While some parts may be identified by labels affixed to them by the manufacturer, it is often true that parts cannot be identified in this manner. For example, not all parts are marked with a part number. Moreover, on a certain percentage of parts received for refurbishment, labels once present are unreadable or missing entirely, thereby requiring identification by other means.
Other techniques for identification of parts require familiarity with the replacement parts, including model numbers and variants. Such techniques are impractical when the parts are complex. In some instances, it is simply impractical to identify unmarked parts, resulting in an ineffective use of materials and creating environmental concerns. Similar issues arise in the refurbishment of other parts, such as engines, braking assemblies, and the like.
An additional issue addressed by the present invention is the need to accurately credit and value parts sent to third parties for refurbishment. As previously mentioned, when a major assembly, such as a transmission, engine or brake assembly, fails, the entire assembly is removed and replaced with a previously refurbished assembly. The removed, failed assembly is generally shipped to a third party business for repair. The original manufacturer of the assembly credits the third party repair facility for the residual value of the repaired part—in effect, purchasing the repaired assembly—for subsequent resale to authorized vendors of repaired parts. The residual value of a failed assembly is referred to in the automotive industry as the “core charge” for the assembly or part, as the case may be. The part or assembly may be referred to simply as the “core.” It is apparent that misidentification of failed parts and assemblies in the above-described process results in considerable economic loss to the manufacturers if the core charge is credited to the repair facility but repair is impossible because the part, through misidentification, has been sent to a facility not equipped to repair that part.
It is therefore evident that there is a need for a cost-effective approach for identifying manufactured objects in an efficient and accurate manner while at the same time improving accountability. Such an approach would have particular application to the automotive industry for identification of parts used in automotive transmissions, engines and brake assemblies. The present invention fulfills these needs and others.